Because Of You
by Marcena
Summary: A series of one-shots in my own little bubble of the Star Wars universe. Some involve people/places/things of my own creation but also the characters you know and love. :3 Some are mature; language and content. Others aren't so... be wary!
1. Some Answers!

_**Alright! First off, I want to say thank you to those of you who have been following my Clone Wars stories (sparse as they are!) it means a lot to me, and I get so giddy when I see I have a new review or favorite!**_

_**Now, I've delved into the Universe we all know and love, adding my own people, places and things! I have had my own story in the works for... a LONG time now, but I was always so unsure of it, but I finally decided to just post it!**_

_**So, first I'll give you a bit of a F.A.Q.'s list and fact dump. These tidbits are things that are assumed to be known by most inhabitants of the Star Wars universe, I hope you likey. :) **_

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**- **While I do create a few random locale's for my stories, the main and most important world of my creation is the planet Nareria. It is your typical garden world, home to the humanoid race known as Narerian's. They appear human in all aspects, with the exception of their hair and eye colors, which are not natural by human standards. It is common for hair to be naturally colored in hues such as; blue, green, red, pink, purple, white, et cetera. Their eyes can be the same colors as well.

People sometimes mistake the Narerian's for the "Angels" of the Iego system, as both have flawless complexions and are known for their attractiveness. They age at a similar rate to most humans.

It is also noted that many people of Nareria are force sensitive. While several of them opt to let their children join the Jedi Order, Nareria has it's own version of the Jedi, who are known as Autarchs, the Avatars of the People. They are equally skilled, and share the same peacekeeping ideal. The differences lie in many of their beliefs, as the Autarchs are allowed to form relationships and have families and the like. Their belief is that being allowed to love allows for a greater capacity for compassion. The Autarchs are traditionally headed by the Narerian Royal Family, the current King Adelis and his wife, Queen Liyana. The Narerian version of a lightsaber is known as a photon blade, it is quite similar; glows a color based off its components and can cut through anything, save another blade or lightsaber.

Nareria is found in the Galactic West, in what is called the Unknown Regions. It is a bit of a "loner system", it's people preferring to keep to themselves. While the Narerian's are renowned for their technology, and as a result their military, they claim neutrality. They are not part of the Republic, nor the Council Of Neutral Systems. They do still hold good relations with both groups though, a major trading partner with the planets/systems/beings of both factions.

While Nareria does keep to itself, Councillor Dahlia Jakinor who is primary advisor to the Royal Family, often acts as a liaison between her homeworld and the rest of the Galaxy. When Nareria enters the Clone Wars, she becomes a full Senator in Coruscant's Galactic Senate.

**-** It is noted that two species inhabit Nareria, first the human-like Narerian's who are native to the planet. The second are the reptilian Ankha. The Ankha were born to a planet in a neighboring system, a pre-spaceflight race. The Narerian's had discovered the Ankha's homeworld and decided to let them develop naturally, but they also took note of the rapid state of decay the planet was in (for reasons they could not discern). Deciding they couldn't abandon the Ankha to die, they rescued some estimated ten to fifteen percent of the population and integrated them into their society on Nareria.

While many hearing the story expect to see the Ankha as second class citizens, they are in fact equal to the Narerian's, many of them holding rank in the Government and Military.

The Ankha do not live as long as the Narerian's, and as such live much faster paced lifestyles. They are known to be somewhat hyperactive due to this.

**-** There are two main factions within the Narerian Military, both are under the command of The Grand Presidium, an official overseeing both the Navy and Army. The current Presidium's identity is being kept secret from the Republic.

The head of the Narerian Navy is Supreme Admiral of the Fleets, Akilah Turahn, a Narerian female. Her second in command is Vice Admiral Eamon Phileas, a Narerian male.

The head of the Narerian Army is Grand Marshall Sethekk Jai'kanna, an Ankha male. His second in command is Marianna Dushanna, a Narerian female.

**-** There are two specialized groups within the military. First are known as _The Shades of Nareria_. They are skilled spies, saboteurs, snipers, assassins and reconnaissance personel. They fall under the Army's command.

The second group falls under the Navy's jurisdiction and are known as _Wraithes_. They are talented pilots, an elite group who deploy from the flagship of the Supreme Admiral.

- Nareria is one of the many planets who are ruled by a royal family, a family whose bloodlines trace back to the beginning of Narerian history. The royal's true family name is known only to a few trusted friends and allies, the royal family instead takes the surname Cah'neillia which can be roughly translated to "guardians of the light".

The King and Queen have a daughter, a Princess, but prefer to keep her hidden from the outside world. She appears only in veils and hoods, flanked by her four handmaidens. The Princess rarely speaks, but is said to have a melodic voice. She is known only as "The Little Light" and appears to be in her late teens to early twenties.


	2. Can You Hear Me

Horror. That had been the only thing the Captain's mind was able to register at the sight of the burning ship. He'd stood frozen to the bluff that he, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano stood on. Below them in the slight valley lay the burning wreckage of a Narerian ship, a ship that had held Serrah Arlaia.

Rex felt his heart lurch into his throat at the thought of Serrah, his Serrah, being on board. Before he could process the action he was running, as fast as he could for the wreckage. He barely noticed that Anakin and Ahsoka were beside him, sprinting for the crash.

The Trooper vaulted over a bit of debris, scrambling up the small hill that the ship that formed during its smash into the planet. He scanned the wreckage, his visor reflecting the fire and debris.

_"No no, she has to be here somewhere..." _His mind was screaming.

"We need rescue immedietly!" Ahsoka's voice seemed hazy, pushed aside by his mind. Finding Serrah was all he could think of.

A small voice pinged in the back of his head. _"This is why such relationships are forbidden..."_

"Serrah!" Rex silenced the thought, of course he'd considered it before, but he didn't care. It was worth it, Serrah was worth it.

He barely noticed the explosion, ignoring the bits of smoking debris that rained against his form. He tore through the bits of gnarled metal, making his way to the hatch. He started as Anakin took hold of his arm.

"Rex, we have to wait... it's too dangerous." The Jedi's face showed his own anguish.

Rex looked to the ship once more before he allowed Anakin to lead him back to a safe distance. The Clone dropped to the ground, staring blankly at the wreck.

Ahsoka dropped to her knees beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Anakin was staring at the flames as well. He glanced to Rex, his expression promising that he knew how Rex felt, having to leave the one he loved's life to fate. The older Jedi's hands clenched and unclenched as he looked back to the crashed ship.

Rex hung his head, doing all he could to refrain from screaming and charging back into the debris to find her, to bring her back to his side. He took to screaming in his mind, balling his hands into fists.

_"Serrah... Serrah... please..." _He felt tears forming in his eyes.

_"Rex!" _Serrah's voice echoed softly in his helmet.

Rex started, jerking upright and scrambling to his feet.

Ahsoka blinked, rising with him and glancing around for some unseen threat. "What is it?"

"I..." he whipped around, scanning the area. "I heard her... in my, helmet..." He raised one hand, tapping the side of his helmet.

Again, her voice. _"Rex! Can you hear me?"_

"No..." He let his hand fall to his side. "In my head..."

Ahsoka and Anakin seemed to find this unsurprising.

"What's she saying?" Anakin asked, watching the Captain intently.

_"Serrah, I can hear you baby! I can hear you!" _Rex laughed, glancing skywards.

She was smiling, he could _feel_ her smiling. _"I'm alright, we're alright. We managed to get into an escape pod, but our transmitter was damaged."_

Rex laughed again, his tears finally spilling over in response to his joy. "They're alright!" He turned east, breaking into a sprint. "She's this way, I know she is..."

Again the two Jedi didn't seem to find this odd. The Clone normally would've pondered if the Jedi were always able to talk with their minds like this, but he could only focus on one thing, getting to her.

After what seemed like an eternity a figure appeared over the nearest hill, four more joined it.

"There they are!" Ahsoka's voice was etched with joy.

Another eternity. Crossing the plains to them, to her.

Blood and grime was caked to her face, spotted along her robes, but she was smiling. She was alright.

Rex dropped his blaster, opening his arms to catch Serrah. They laughed, clutching each other madly while silent tears fell. She smiled, pressing her forehead against his.

"I thought I'd lost you..." Rex's voice wavered slightly though he still smiled.

Serrah closed her eyes, tightening her embrace. "Never..."


	3. An Unknown Skill

"Bleh! I hate being wet!" the young togruta Jedi was grumbling as she drug herself out of the river she and her comrades had tumbled into.

Serrah grinned slightly. "Wet and cold... I'm sure few beings enjoy that combination." The human glanced out across the river, looking for the three Clone Troopers who had been with her and Ahsoka.

Captain Rex and Sticks were already swimming for shore, Sticks cussing the entire way.

Chex appeared a moment later, throwing his arms over his head as he broke the surface of the water screaming. "Hah! I'm alive!"

"Lucky you..." Sticks mumbled, yanking his helmet off as he reached the shore. The Clone scratched at his red hair, shaking his limbs in a vain attempt to dry himself.

Soon enough all five were on the rivers bank, each with an annoyed expression on their face.

"Well, at least those tin cans won't follow us down here." Ahsoka offered a small grin, gesturing back towards the cliff the group had toppled off of to evade a patrol of droids.

Rex nodded. "We still need to get back." The blue trimmed Clone turned to climb one of the rocky outcroppings that dotted the rivers edge. He glanced around, dropping the scope he wore to survey the area. "Chex, Sticks, head down the river a ways. We should bump into General Skywalker if we follow it."

The two clones nodded, turning to make their way down the river's edge.

Serrah sighed, dropping to sit cross legged. She reached up, pulling her snowy white hair down from the bun she'd pinned it into that morning.

Ahsoka folded her arms, watching the older woman untangle her hair. The Padawan tipped her head to the side, "I don't see how you can live with such long hair... it'd drive me crazy."

Serrah smiled, wringing her hair out. "Sometimes it is a pain... I've contemplated just cutting it off."

"Don't you dare." Rex had hopped off the rocks, his helmet in his hands and a grin on his face.

"But it's so annoying." Serrah smirked up at the Captain. "Life could be so much easier if I didn't have to worry about it."

Rex scoffed, moving behind Serrah and dropping to his knees. He gathered her hair in his hands, roughly untangling it with his fingers before setting to work braiding it. "I'd never forgive you."

Ahsoka blinked at the Trooper, watching as he wove Serrah's hair into a perfect braid. He reached in front of the woman, gesturing for her to hand him a tie to finish the braid.

"See, not so bad." Rex grinned, leaning forward to press a kiss to Serrah's temple before rising and jogging down the bank in the direction Sticks and Chex had gone, putting his helmet back on as he went.

Serrah smiled, rising as well and setting off in the same direction, Ahsoka at her side.

"Since when can Rex braid hair?" The Padawan looked up to Serrah, a brow ridge arched.

"Since I let him wash it... he loves it." The woman winked down at the young togruta. "He has many a skill you don't know about."

The Jedi grinned, elbowing the older woman before jogging ahead. "I'm sure there's many I don't want to know about!"

"Oh you have no idea..."


	4. Fuzzball

**_So... the inspiration from this story came from my kittens haha, they're so little and cute and I couldn't help but think what the Clones would do with one... so, here's a random story! Haha. Now... while I doubt cats exist in the Star Wars universe... I bring to the table the fact that statues of horses are seen in Theed, Naboo... so my reasoning is if horses can exist, why can't kitties? :) 3_**

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"Duck! Now!" an authorative female voice called across the battlefield, it's owner twirling and dashing about the area, dodging blaster fire and striking down Battle Droids. The woman's robes and white hair fluttered behind her as she moved.

A missle streaked across the field, sending three Clones diving for cover.

"Mistress, Destroyers!" a small woman with violet hair shouted, still perched atop the Super Battle Droid she had leapt onto to destroy. She plunged the two small shoto photon blades she wielded into the Droid's optics, the thing wailing as it fell inactive.

"I see them Sabina..." Serrah Arlaia, the woman who had shouted the earlier warning, replied as she brought her own photon blade down in an arc to behead yet another Droid. The woman smirked as the Droid crumpled. She tightened her grip on her blade, her people's version of the Jedi lightsaber. Her azure gaze turned to the dozen destroyers who had rolled onto the field, unfolding themselves and bringing their blasters to bear on the two Narerian women.

Parrying the lasers was easy enough, Serrah's blade flashing with each deflection. Sabina had to put more action into her movements, the smaller woman was more suited to stealth and recon, so she preferred two smaller shoto style weapons. They weren't exactly made to deflect shots...

"We should move My Lady..." Sabina murmured, giving Serrah a quick look.

Serrah glanced to one of the semi demolished buildings in the City she and her comrades had arrived in, a grin crossed her features as a white armored figure appeared on top; a large weapon in had. "I think we're fine... I just found Sticks."

As she finished her sentence a blast rang out, the Clone Trooper on the rooftop having fired the missle launcher he was carrying. The projectile streaked over the line of Destroyer droids, slamming into a building on the opposite side of the street. The building shuddered, the top half collapsing and falling onto the Droidekas, crushing them.

Silence fell over the field, Serrah and Sabina straightening and sheathing their weapons.

"See?" Serrah smiled, walking towards the toppled building.

"Leave it to Sticks to end the fight with a bang..." Sabina murmured, nudging a fallen droid with her foot.

"Hey, explosives is my speciality." Sticks appeared as if on cue, jumping down from the rubble, his voice relaying the grin that his helmet hid. He patted the rocket launcher slung over his shoulder.

Sabina smiled, looking to her left as the three other Clones they had been with emerged from their cover.

Each Clone wore a different type of armor, suited to their preferred tactics. Usually the Clones of each unit wore matching armor, but the four Clones that had been assigned to Serrah at the start of the Clone War had been granted the chance for personalization by the woman. The four Clones had appreciated the gesture, and decided upon their own unit colour: a brilliant, light blue. They had all incorporated the colour into their armors, showing they still held the close brother like bond of all Clone Troopers, the unshakable sense of coherency.

Sticks was already tinkering with his beloved launcher, a weapon he had customized extensively with both Clone and Narerian parts. As the teams explosives expert, he wore typical A.R.C. Trooper armor, his kama skirt trimmed with the light blue of their little unit. His helm had no scope, as his visor was instead more comparable to other heavy weapon wielding Troopers, and was desgined to sync with whatever weapon he was bearing. The sight syncing made him a crack shot with most any projectile. There were several pouches, packs and kits attatched to his belt, each holding various tools; explosive sensors, ion probes, defusing tools and the like. He used the tools well, able to defuse anything he was presented with, or blow his way through anything in his path.

Vector lead the trio of Clones approaching Sticks, Serrah and Sabina. His talents rested in scouting; stealth and recon as well as sniping. To suit his skills, he wore Clone Scout Trooper armor that was mottled with a pale gray so he could blend in with the shadows he preferred, the helmets visor was larger that the typical Clone armor to allow him a better field of sight. The blue of their unit was shown in a slim line on his right shoulder plate, trailing down his arm to end on his gauntlet. He had his DC - 15x sniper rifle slung over his shoulder, the weapon as modified as Stick's launcher. Various photon blades adorned his gear, as he had studied under Sabina in the art of close combat assassination. Two daggers were strapped to his thighs, and two more attached to his boots. Sometimes it was best to take the target out up close and quietly.

Chex was the team medic and engineer, and while he was a skilled soldier like all of his brothers, he had a knack for the various innards of nearly anything; living or mechanical. He chose to wear the typical Phase I armor that most Clone's wore, saying his tools were far more valuable than specialized armor. It was true, the many pouches and kits attached to the Trooper attesting to the fact. He kept a smaller version of a fusion cutter on his belt alongside the two pistols he preferred over a rifle. Various bacta dispensers filled his packs as well as many other mechanical knick knacks and tools. Sticks usually teased him, calling him a walking junkyard. The units blue decorated his boots, gloves and trimmed his helmet.

Tab brought up the rear of the trio of clones, his stride indicating that he was already bored with the quiet. Tab was the self announced pilot and driver of the unit, feeling most at home behind the controls of anything that could move. A few people had claimed that if the Clone was able to use the force, he might've rivalled General Skywalker in skill. Of course that also counted crash landings... Tab seemed to thrive off of chaos, able to perfom exceptionally even in the heat of battle. It made him extremely valuable, but often left the Clone bored and twitchy in times of calm. Like Chex he wore Phase I armor, though he preferred to wear a modified version of a Clone Pilot helmet, something he could sync to any vehicle he hopped into. The light blue dotted his chest piece in a somewhat chunky pattern, tapering down his armor before it ended at his knees.

"That was easy..." Vector chuckled, eyeing the carnage the six people had managed to create.

"Too easy." Tab sighed, shoulders slumping a bit. "I thought they'd put up more of a fight..."

A portion of the Republic Fleet, composed of the flagship of Narerian Admiral Tarifah Meneena, as well as a few Republic cruisers... had been sent to a remote planet after recieving reports of a Seperatist outpost on one of the planet's cities. After a bit of investigating, they had found that the Seperatists were hoping to start a factory in the city. Quick intervention on the Republics part had halted that thought, the Seperatist leaders attempting to flee into space, only to be caught by the Republic ships. So Serrah and her little unit had decided to perform one last sweep before the Fleet returned to the front lines, to be sure the city was safe for the planet's native people.

And thus they had encountered the remnants of Droids that had been left behind in the panicked retreat.

"They're clankers, they're no challenge anyways." Sticks grinned, finally slinging his launcher over his shoulder. "So, what now Ma'am?" He turned to Serrah.

"Call for a pick up, as those... _challenge-less_ _clankers..._ blew up our ride." she grinned, lifting her wrist and activating her comm to hail the Fleet in orbit.

Tab sighed at the mention of their Gunship, which was now a smoking skeleton. He sat on a bit of debris, tugging his helmet off. "I blame Sticks for that." He scratched at the bit of black hair he'd shaped into a faux hawk.

"What? You're the one who landed in the open!" Sticks snorted, pulling his helmet off as well. He mimicked his brother, rubbing at his short and vibrantly red hair.

"Because, _there's no droids around_, you said... _It'll be fine left alone_, you said!" Tab pointed an accusing finger at Sticks.

Sticks only laughed. "Well... you listened to me."

"Shut it... both of you." Vector hissed, his head cocked to the side. "Listen..."

The group went quiet, knowing better than to ignore the Scout when small sounds were concerned.

"Here." Vector murmured, tugging his blades from their sheathes at his thighs and moving for a section of building that had fallen over what appeared to once be an alley.

Sticks and Tab jammed their helms back on their heads, both tugging their blasters out. They fell into line behind Vector; Serrah, Chex and Sabina following as well. The two women hadn't pulled their weapons from their belts yet, but the Clones knew they could have them ready in mere seconds.

They halted before the debris, crouching and preparing themselves for whatever lay beneath it. Sticks moved ahead, nudging a bit of steel aside with his boot. Something made a tiny peeping sound, trying to retreat into the rubble. Sticks raised a brow beneath his helmet. "It's... a little..." he reached a hand in, withdrawing with a small furry creature pinched between his fingers. "What is it...?"

The group gathered around Sticks, eyeing the dirty fuzzball.

"It's... a kitten." Serrah smiled, reaching a finger out to touch the filthy feline. "It looks famished, probably a stray... got caught in the fight..." a pang of sorrow filled her. They had been able to move the civilians out of the area, but she felt bad that something so helpless had been in the midst of it.

"Kitten?" Tab queried, leaning forwards a bit to examine the cat which was too dirty to determine a colour.

"A little mammal, they're a domesticated creature. I'm not sure where they originated, but they're fairly widespread now." Sabina smiled.

"It's so tiny..." Sticks said, almost too quiet for the group to hear. He held the kitten against his chest, trying to cuddle the terrified thing.

"Probably starving." Vector said. He paused a moment, glancing skywards. "Pick up's here."

On cue, a L.A.A.T. Gunship appeared along the skyline, circling a moment before finding a suitable spot to land.

"What do we do with this?" Sticks said, looking down to the kitten that had finally quit trembling.

"What do you mean? We can't exactly take it with us... put it back." Vector said, he and Sabina turning for the Gunship.

"We can't just do that... it'll die, look at it." Chex said, pulling his helmet off. He turned his helmet upside down, Sticks setting the kitten into the thing. Chex looked to Serrah. "Can we keep it?"

Serrah blinked, having been watching the Clones with her arms folded over her chest. "Keep it? Where?"

"It can stay with us, in our quarters." Tab nodded.

"You know you'd have to take care of it... right?" Serrah raised a brow. "Feed it, bath it and pick up after it?"

The three Clones nodded in unison.

Serrah laughed at the sight. "Alright... we can, try I guess. We can always rehome it if it doesn't work out." She turned for the Gunship, gesturing for them to follow. Sabina and Vector were already there, watching the approaching group with the few Clones already on the ship.

One of the Clone crew members spoke as the little unit hopped aboard the ship, the L.A.A.T. lifting off, it's doors closing as it went. "What's that?"

Chex grinned, explaining what Sabina and Serrah had told them moments before.

"What're you going to call it?" the crew member asked again.

"Call it?" Tab asked.

"Like, a name." The crew member chuckled. "Everything needs a name."

The four Clones looked to the kitten, though Vector was watching it almost warily.

They'd reached the Cruiser by the time they'd thought of a suitable name, the Gunship landing with a bit of a thud.

"Kup." Sticks nodded, wiggling a finger against the kittens belly.

"Kup..." Serrah smiled as they disembarked from the Gunship. "It's... cute, suiting."

Chex grinned, the four Clones trailing along beside Serrah and Sabina. "So... Kup..."

The kitten had gathered the courage to rise, resting its paws on the edge of the helmet it sat in, looking about the area with wide eyes. It made a soft sound, a tiny mew.

The Clones blinked at the kitten.

"That was..." Sticks smiled.

Tab laughed. "It was... cute."

The group chuckled.

"So... what do we do with Kup now?" Chex asked, looking to Serrah.

"First things first... let's bath the little guy and get some food in that belly."


	5. Hiding Spot

"This is stupid..." Serrah Arlaia hissed, doing her best to be quiet. She grunted, trying to shift a bit in the confined space.

"Hey don't - ah, watch your elbow - this wasn't _my_ fault. _You're_ the one who wanted to go investigating." Clone Captain Rex whispered back, doing his best to accomadate her in their shared hiding spot.

Serrah huffed. "Well it wasn't _me_ who tripped that sensor, a sensor that made those droids come looking! And _you're_ the one who pulled me into this crate!"

Rex smirked a bit. "Well I could have left you out there with all the battle droids." He couldn't see her face in the dark of the crate they were tucked into, but he could tell she'd rolled her eyes at him.

The pair finally settled, Rex seated with his back against the crate and legs bent at the knee, feet flat against the opposite wall. Serrah was nestled between his legs, her own legs curled to her chest. She was forced to lean against the Captain's chest, not something she usually minded, but she was still annoyed at the predicament... and the ungraceful way he'd yanked her into the crate with him to hide from the droids.

"... this is stupid." she muttered again, reaching to pull the pins that held her hair into the elaborate style she'd pinned it into to match the senatorial outfit she wore. She sighed, shaking her ivory hair loose. She'd been asked to meet with a political dignitary named Vambora, one who claimed neutrality but was suspected of harboring Seperatist leaders. The dignitary was wary of Jedi, and refused to allow any to accompany her, so Rex has insisted on going along and posing as her bodyguard. The Senate and Council had agreed, not wanting her to be alone as she had to pose as a politician only, hide her true warrior self... as she and her fellow warriors were often confused with Jedi.

The meeting had gone as smooth as it could, the dignitary offering his home for them to spend the night following it. Serrah had accepted, and it was during that night that she'd decided she couldn't sit still anymore and had gone off to search for evidence. She and Rex had made their way to what served as the hangar for the dignitaries elaborate home, and that was when Rex had unknowingly tripped an alarm, an alarm that alerted a platoon of hidden droids. The pair knew they couldn't be caught, as Rex only carried a light blaster and Serrah had left her photon blade behind, lest Vambora see it... but had no time to flee either, so Rex had thrown the lid off a nearby crate and snatched Serrah's arm to drag her inside before closing the lid. Thus their predicament.

"At least we found the proof that he's a Seppy." Rex shrugged lightly, his arms resting around Serrah, as it was most comfortable. He wasn't about to say, as he was sure she'd smack him out of annoyance, but he was relishing being trapped so close to her. He smoothed a thumb along her side, grateful for the fact that neither of them were in their usual armor; she was in a crimson robe suiting a politician, he in the traditional navy blue uniform of the Narerian Personal Guard.

"I suppose..." she murmured, sighing a bit. "But this is still stupid, I've never hid... always fought, _we_ always fight." She poked a finger into his ribs.

He chuckled, her mood easy to read in the pitch black of the box. "Well I'm only armed with a light pistol, can't exactly fight an entire platoon."

"We could do it."

Rex chuckled again, the grin obvious in her tone. "Yeah, but then we'd give ourselves away to.. to.. whatever his name is." He scowled a bit, still a bit sore over the way the dignitary had fawned over Serrah, _his_ Serrah.

"Vambora..." Serrah said, sighing and leaning her head on the Captain's shoulder.

"Whatever..." Rex shrugged a bit, nuzzling his face into her hair almost unconsciously. "... he's a Seperatist, that much is obvious now, but we need to report it to the Council. Well, once the coast is clear."

They could still hear the clanking of the droids outside their crate, the things too stupid to poke around for whomever tripped the alarm.

"Mmm." Serrah nodded against his shoulder, she sighed again, her breathe tickling the Clone's neck causing him to shiver a bit. She grinned at that, pursing her lips and blowing against his skin.

He squirmed a bit. "Stop it..."

Serrah giggled, knowing he was grinning. She pressed a kiss to his chin. "Well there's nothing else to do in this box."

"Hmm, true..." Rex grinned again. "It'd give us something to do for sure..."

"Wait, what are _you_ thinking of? We're in a _crate_... with battle droids outside." she arched a brow in the darkness.

"Ah... dear? We're soldiers... in a war, when are the conditions for us ever favorable?"

A bang against the side of their crate caused both to go silent, Rex pulling her closer in a protective manner.

"Nothing's here, go back to stand by." a mechanical voice ordered, followed by a series of roger roger's and the sound of retreating footsteps.

Serrah eventually leaned forwards, cracking the lid of the crate so she could peer about. "Clear." she smiled, hopping out of the box. "Alright, let's go make that call and arrest us a dignitary."

Rex feigned a pout, following her out of the hangar. "Does this mean we're not getting intimate in a tiny metal box?"

Serrah laughed, tossing a grin over her shoulder. "Shut up Captain."


	6. Kup's New Home

**_This was just a quick little story, to explain why the kitten Kup will be found on Coruscant with Dahlia (usually in her Senatorial Chambers at the Senate ;D ) instead of with Chex/Sticks/Vector/Tab who found and adopted him! As much as I love the idea of them having their kitty with them, it's just not realistic to have a tiny fuzzball in a warzone! _**

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"Hey, you guys seen Kup?" A Clone Trooper, nicknamed Chex poked his head over the edge of the bunkbed he rested in, his head appearing upside down to his teammate who lay in the bottom bunk. "Oy, Vector."

The Clone grumbled, rolling onto his side and pulling his blanket over his head. "No, now lemme alone Chex... I'm tryin' to sleep..."

Chex rolled his eyes, hopping down from his bunk and glancing about the quarters he shared with the other three members of his squad, his fellow Spectres.

Vector was huddled under his blanket, trying to sleep. Sticks was already asleep, an arm dangling over the edge of his top bunk. The explosives expert was drooling a tad as well. Tab was still awake, sitting on the floor with his back to the wall. He held a data pad in his hand, but had glanced up to Chex. All four of them were in sleep pants.

"Kup?" Tab asked softly, looking around for the kitten in question, a kitten the four Clone's had rescued and adopted a few weeks earlier. "He was sleeping on Sticks last I saw." He gestured to the drooling Trooper with his data pad.

Chex tip toed to Sticks' bunk, peering around the mattress. As usual, Sticks' blanket was tossed aside and was now a lump against the wall. Chex poked at the pile, a favored sleeping spot for the black and white kitten. "Nope, not there..." he glanced about the room, there were few places for the kitten to hide in a room aboard a starship.

Tab raised a brow, looking under the little table that sat in the corner of their room. "Where... do you think he got outside?"

"I hope not... a kitten running around a cruiser?" Chex sighed, checking each man's bunk one more time, earning another complaint from Vector. They'd been keeping the kitten in their quarters, a task that had proved to be surprisingly difficult as the kitten took each, every and any opportunity to dart out the door.

"Well... he's not in here..." Tab rose, setting his data pad on the table. A worried look crossed the man's face. "Is he lost again..."

Both Clone's looked to each other, days ago their cruiser had been jumped by Seperatist ships. They'd survived, beating the Seperatists, but Kup had ran and hid in the chaos. The Spectre's had panicked, finding the kitten after an hour of searching. It was then, and with heavy hearts... that they'd decided the kitten would be safer somewhere else. So they had arranged for one of their friends, Senator of the planet Nareria, Dahlia Jakinor to take the kitten.

"At least the ship's not on fire and decompressing this time." Vector grumbled, still hidden under his blanket. He had taken the longest to warm up to the kitten, but had eventually come to love Kup as everyone on the Narerian ship did, though he still acted a bit gruff when others were watching.

Chex rummaged through his locker, pulling out the left gauntlet to his armor and activating his communicator. "Helena, are you there?"

_"I am always here."_ a soft, feminine voice replied through his comm. The voice belonged to the ships Artificial Intelligence, something that was present in almost all Narerian technology, which was named Helena.

"We ah... seem to have... misplaced Kup... have you seen him?" Chex said, a little bashfully.

_"Again? Perhaps you should have placed a bell around his neck as CT-7567 suggested at your last meeting."_ the A.I. sang, her voice as melodic as always.

"Yeah yeah..." Chex said, rolling his yes. "Can you find him?"

There was a slight pause as the A.I. did a quick scan. _"The feline designated Kup is not far, down the hall. I believe it is playing with what the cleaners call a... dust bunny."_

"Thanks!" Chex tossed the gauntlet to his bed, turning for the door with Tab at his heels.

As the A.I. promised, Kup was in the hallway, attacking a stray pile of fluff as if it were some great threat.

"Hey little guy, snuck out of the room again did you?" Chex smiled, dropping to a knee.

The kitten had flipped onto his back, the fluff between his paws. He paused only when Chex reached a hand out, turning his attention to the Clone's fingers, which he began to attack instead of the bit of dusty fuzz.

Chex smirked, gathering the kitten and setting it on his shoulder. "Silly little man."

Kup gave a happy mew, rubbing himself along the side of Chex's face.

"I'm gonna miss the little bugger..." Tab said, the three of them returning to their room. He sighed, climbing into the bunk below Sticks... who was still snoring happily.

"Me too..." Chex climbed into his top bunk, taking Kup with him and setting the kitten on his pillow, a pillow the kitten promptly took to kneading. "... but he'll be safe."

Tab had nodded. "Plus we're not always here... on the ship. It's for the best..."

Kup gave a happy mewl, curling into a ball on Chex's pillow.

"Besides, we can visit him whenever we're on Coruscant." Tab smiled, settling under his blanket.

Chex nodded in agreement, tickling the kitten under it's chin, earning a happy purr. "For the best..."


End file.
